Marvel's Daredevil: Born Again lit up our screens with its season 1 finale on Tuesday night, and you're likely eager to talk about it. So am I, but before we dive into that, let’s recognize something important: alongside Matt and Kingpin, Frank Castle stands as another key figure in the series. Make no mistake—he isn’t holding back. Every storyline and subplot came together beautifully in episode 9, where Matt appeared sidelined and Fisk/Kingpin were plotting their moves from Red Hook, preparing to face off against opponents such as Commissioner Gallo.
Before stepping into the fiery climax of the final episode, Matt began unraveling Bullseye’s (also known as Dex or Poindexter) motive for killing Foggy. He understood that Vanessa played a significant role in this scheme, particularly after their intense confrontation on the dance floor during Fisk's gala, which ended with a major revelation and Matt being shot when he intercepted Bulletseye's intended fatal shot aimed at Fisk. This dramatic twist at the end of episode eight revealed Vanessa's part in Foggy's demise without providing all the specifics. Additionally, it left viewers puzzled about his decision to act heroically despite siding with Fisk.
Over the course of the series, numerous unresolved queries persisted regarding the deaths of Hector Ayala and Foggy, as well as the inner turmoil within both Fisk and Matt. This concluding episode managed to address some dangling threads, making something abundantly clear: nobody escapes the reach of violent acts. Keep this insight in perspective when anticipating season 2; however, let’s first dissect the key highlights from the last episode, including the post-credit sequence, along with potential developments in "Daredevil: Born Again." Note that the narrative unfolds roughly around 2027, following the occurrences detailed in the previous installment. Agatha All Along ).
Spoilers are ahead If you haven't seen the Season 1 finale yet, stop reading now.
Why Vanessa employed Dex as an assassin
While Matt recuperates in the hospital after being shot, viewers get a glimpse into an earlier scene where Vanessa Fisk visits Dex during his stay at a mental health facility. Under heavy medication, he agrees to endorse a conditional release on appeal she proposes — but only if he can carry out a contract killing against a man known as Benjamin; this is the same individual who spoke with Foggy in the first episode. Concerned over Fisk’s involvement, Dex expresses reservations. Vanessa reveals that she hasn’t seen her spouse recently, hinting towards potential complications introduced in the series 'Echo.' Aware that Foggy's trial might reveal unsavory aspects of her operations, she compliments Dex's talents as Bullseye and insists that her husband has nothing to do with them. Skeptical, Dex responds curtly, “He’s always involved.” Despite his reluctance, he ultimately signs off on the documents.
While chatting with McDuffie in his hospital room, where Matt was recovering from injuries, he realized that Foggy had celebrated prematurely due to winning an earlier case. This deduction came when Foggy mentioned wanting some O'Melveny whiskey from Josie’s place. Matt put two and two together, connecting the dots back to Fisk, and both of them decided to sift through archival documents to locate the missing motion to dismiss that should have been submitted but wasn’t.
At the same time, Fisk reconciled with his wife following her confession regarding Dex; however, he was aware that she had secretly employed Bullseye without informing him. United once more, they began strategizing their plans for Red Hook and a potential coup of the city.
Gallo, Daredevil, and Punisher standing against Kingpin's hostile faction.
Fisk couldn’t maintain his polished facade indefinitely. In front of an audience comprising members of his task force, he vented his anger towards Commissioner Gallo, insisting they close off the entire city to locate Dex. Despite Sheila’s attempts to persuade Fisk otherwise, he brushed her aside and instructed everybody to focus on their duties, assigning her specifically to identify “traitors.” Additionally, he commanded Buck to eliminate Daredevil; however, Buck mentioned that Matt had saved him earlier, complicating matters from a public relations standpoint. “What if he dies due to his injuries,” Kingpin "A deceased hero holds greater value than an active vigilante," he said.
Matt anticipated the attack and fled to his house, where Frank was waiting for him. Shockingly, The Punisher appeared unexpectedly: "I’m not going to play nice with these fans. I plan on taking them down decisively; got that?” Understood.
As this occurred, Fisk imposed martial law and gained the authority to cut off electricity throughout the city. This led to riots breaking out alongside total darkness.
Who was responsible for killing Hector Ayala, also known as White Tiger?
As Frank and Matt were waiting for Fisk’s hit team to arrive, Frank questioned, “Why would you risk your life for that jerk?” It was indeed a valid query, yet before Matt could respond, Fisk’s henchmen stormed into the building. Whereas Matt typically aims to injure or merely incapacitate his adversaries, Frank shifted into his brutal Punisher persona, resulting in gore spraying around and sounds that reverberated through everyone present.
They discovered that Cole North was the police officer responsible for killing Hector Ayala. Frank encouraged Matt to seek vengeance through murder, but Matt declined, choosing instead to mentally revisit every death and suffering he had endured throughout the season. Their disagreement escalated when Frank shot several individuals; however, they were cut short due to an interruption as Matt noticed someone pulling the pin from a grenade. As chaos ensued, what did they see down on the street below? It was Karen.
While regrouping at Frank's hideout, there's a callback to Karen and Frank's friendly dynamic from Netflix's The Punisher as she patched up his wound. We learned she called him to help Matt, and he showed up as a favor. But still, the "Inspector Gadget sh*t" isn't for him, so Karen and Matt depart to look for Foggy's files while Frank makes other plans.
Fisk eliminates Gallo, Frank is absent, yet all is as it should be.
As Matt and Karen went through the documents, with Matt grappling internally over his principles, Fisk was simultaneously arranging for Gallo to eliminate him. All paths converged toward Red Hook. It turned out that Karen and Matt discovered Foggy’s argument—that Benny hadn’t broken any laws either within New York City or the U.S., owing to the distinctive status of the Red Hook harbor. Thus, the legal system lacked authority to put him on trial. An examination of the Red Hook charter from 1855 revealed it functioned as an independent trading zone where Vanessa had engaged in money-laundering activities without interference from customs officials, tax collectors, or law enforcement. This autonomy made Red Hook highly desirable to the Fisks. Unbeknownst to Foggy, this discovery placed him squarely at the center of something far more complex than anticipated.
Karen decided to go to Red Hook, and Frank -- on a solo mission -- did too. He killed and maimed a bunch of Fisk's task force cops until a group of them overtook him. All those guys had a Punisher tattoo, mistakenly believing they were the same.
Elsewhere, Sheila snitched on Gallo (she felt bad about it), and he was driven to a warehouse by an officer formerly under his command. When he arrives at a plastic-covered room, Fisk rants to his corrupt cop squad that Gallo was never there for them while they risked their lives. Fisk then grabbed Gallo's head to intimidate him and keep viewers on edge. It was disturbingly gruesome as Fisk killed Gallo with his bare hands (I won't recap the gore). Why didn't Fisk just let him resign when he wanted to? Some of the cops appeared shocked and scared.
That scene was juxtaposed with a beaten, bloodied Punisher trash-talking the other group of reckless, murderous cops. He doesn't want to join them, so he's punished and taken prisoner.
Upon arriving at Red Hook, Karen and Matt understood they were outmatched and chose to withdraw. The next day, Fisk conducted a press briefing where he fabricated stories about Gallo, enforced an overnight restriction, and named Heather Glenn as his advisor for mental health issues. Meanwhile, Matt and Karen discussed how he felt invincible against evil forces. Matt harbored desires to eliminate Poindexter and struggled with grief following Foggy’s demise. Karen reminded Matt that Foggy always trusted him completely—regardless of whether it involved vengeance, compassion, or navigating through shadows and illumination—he remained steadfast in his faith in Matt.
As Radiohead's Everything in its Right Place played, the episode closed out with Matt's narration about the city and how the system isn't working when there's so much corruption. Josie, Cherry and some good cops are shown, while it cuts to Kingpin and Vanessa walking through their dungeon den where Swordsman, Frank and other resistors are locked up. Though the Fisks are celebrating their sinister glory, season 2 means a fight is in store as Matt -- and Karen -- rallies support. With people like B.B. Urich, Angela Ayala and Poindexter out there, twists, turns and new types of heroes are possible. Exposing Red Hook is just the start.
Daredevil: Born Again mid-credits scene fires up Punisher
Don't ever say Frank Castle isn't a friendly guy. If you kept watching the finale after the credits began rolling, you saw the scene between Frank and one of the guards patrolling the Fisks' caged enemies. Frank asks his name and where he's from, talking with the man -- Anthony -- in a chummy way.
Toward the end of the minute-and-a-half sequence, Frank thanks him for engaging with him and extends one of his chained hands, "I appreciate you giving me a minute like this. It's an honor to meet you." The guard takes the bait.
"Thank you, Anthony," Frank says as the guard sticks his arm through the cage to shake his hand. Frank pulls Anthony's entire arm through and snaps it against the bars as he wails in agony. This is the Punisher we've come to know and love through all the seasons of Daredevil and The Punisher. Will he fully escape Fisk's clutches in that dungeon? That remains to be seen, but fans can expect him and Matt to be on the same team the next time we see them.
The second season of Daredevil: Born Again is currently being developed, and as reported, executive producer Sana Amanat will feature plenty of action, including “wild scenes” and “a somewhat distinct version of New York.” For now, you can stream all episodes of season one.
Originally published on April 16, 2025, at 9:37 a.m. Pacific Time.
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